Online Entrepreneurship Degree Programs

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WHAT IS AN ONLINE ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEGREE?

An entrepreneurship degree online program studies general business management models. Then applies them to starting a business from the ground up.

Like business majors, you’ll study things like sales, marketing, finance and personnel. But you’ll look at them through the eyes of a business owner. Someone who has complete control over how a business operates and grows.

As such, you may graduate knowing how to raise capital, develop a product and market a business. You may also have the skills to manage a team of employees and expand into global markets.

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TYPES OF ONLINE ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEGREE PROGRAMS

A.A.S. in Business Administration

This program melds the functional areas of business with strategic planning and analysis. It may help you learn to get a business off the ground.

Course Examples:

  • Venture Capital and Banking
  • Microeconomics
  • Principles of Management

Business Management Bachelor’s Degree – Completion Program – Entrepreneurship Specialization

This program focuses on business management. It may help you learn to manage projects, people and portfolios. There is an option to add a concentration in entrepreneurship.

Course Examples:

  • Accounting for business managers
  • International Business
  • New Business Development

Master of Business Administration – Entrepreneurship

This MBA program features a real world curriculum and exposes students to strategic and financial minded theories to help facilitate entrepreneurship.

Course Examples:

  • Budgeting
  • Team Leadership
  • Contracts and Procurement

ONLINE ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEGREE PROGRAMS

An online entrepreneurship degree program tends to have a business management core. In these courses, you’ll learn about the functional areas of business.

Yet other topics may introduce you to what it means to be an entrepreneur. How to harness your vision, create a business plan and get your idea up and running.

Many programs also offer for credit internships and opportunities to build your business network. Or, you may need to submit a final project. These experiences may help you identify opportunity, manage risks and solve problems.

What is the difference between entrepreneurship and business? While many classes overlap, in choosing a program, there are two main options to consider:

  • Entrepreneurship major – (E.g. Bachelor of Science, Master of Science)
  • Business administration major with a concentration in entrepreneurship – (E.g. Associate of Business Administration, Bachelor of Business Administration, MBA)

Because your major guides your study plan, you may find it helpful to know a little about these two majors.

THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP MAJOR

A bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship may hone networking and other business skills. The courses may break down what it takes to launch a small venture.

Some of the classes you’ll take may cover organizational and operational topics. These examine labor laws. As such, you may learn to negotiate with unions or secure contracts. They may also help you understand workplace behavior and manage staff.

Other classes often get into finance, accounting and other money matters in depth. For instance, you may study the global economy to understand international markets. Such courses usually talk about how to raise capital. Or bootstrap with personal funds. They may also help you measure risk and gauge your competition.

Another aspect of entrepreneurship is planning and strategy. These classes may help you hone instincts as you try to bring new ideas to fruition. In doing so, you may have the opportunity to create a workable blueprint or business plan. You may also take a range of courses in areas like:

  • Creativity and Innovation
  • Internet Marketing
  • Small Business Ventures
  • Microeconomics
  • Organizational Ethics

Within an entrepreneurship program, there may be room to pursue a concentration. One possibility is logistics management. This may help you develop skills in analysis. It may also add value if you want to know about transport and distribution costs.

Taking this degree to another level, you may choose to pursue your master’s. A Master of Science in Entrepreneurship may help you turn an idea into reality. It may do so through topics like advanced business models, managerial finance and product design.

THE BUSINESS MAJOR

Undergrads who want to get their feet wet in the business sector might start with an associate’s degree. An associate’s in business administration may cover some of the simpler principles. Things like sales, customer service and practical management.

At the bachelor’s level a degree in business may provide an overview of what it takes to succeed as a business manager. This type of program may break down business operations into the day-to-day aspects.

By laying these things out, you may learn to work with people and projects within a business. Along the way, it may show you how to use data to make decisions. In tandem, you’ll likely build a deeper understanding of topics such as:

  • Economics
  • Accounting
  • Finance
  • Marketing
  • Management
  • Organizational Leadership

From this base, you’ll be able to choose a concentration in entrepreneurship. While only a part of your credits it may cover a few key topics. These may help you think and act like a team leader. Depending on your goals, you may want to apply these skills to a specific industry. One example is sports management.

Taking this degree further, you might pursue a Master of Business Administration. An MBA in Entrepreneurship may help you build a portfolio of consulting skills. You may even create a business plan and submit it to an investor for feedback. Or apply strategic skills to a family-run enterprise.

WHAT DO ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEGREE COURSES LOOK LIKE?

Some common courses include:

Introduction to Entrepreneurship: Take a peek at the building blocks of new ventures. You could study the ideas, creativity, and resources that go into start-ups.

Venture Capital: This course may focus on the basics of financing a business venture. Through ideas and case studies, you could learn how to raise the funds you need.

E-Business: A lot of business happens online, and this course may offer a glimpse of how. You may study the role of the internet in commerce, along with digital tools.

Financial Accounting: In this course, you could study the role of financial info in business firms. You may learn how to read statements, prepare balance sheets, and more.

Marketing: Dive into the basics of marketing methods and tools. You could study how to analyze the competition, position a company, and more.

Managerial Economics: This course may cover how to use economics to make decisions as a manager. You may study a variety of business situations where economics could help.

Operations Management: Take a close look at business operations – how they work and what role a manager plays. You could learn about quality improvement, managing a team, and other topics.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COMPLETE AN ONLINE ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEGREE PROGRAM?

If you pursue a bachelors entrepreneurship degree online and study full time, it may take four years. This is the average time it takes to complete a 120 credit bachelor’s degree. An associate degree in entrepreneurship can be earned in as little as two years with only a 60 credit threshold to earn the degree.

A variety of master’s and MBA programs follow this principle. They often have transfer policies that credit experience or past education. Usually, as a full time student a grad degree takes about 2 years. But many schools offer accelerated programs which take half the time. In both cases, you should check school policy.

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ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEGREE PROGRAM EXAMPLES

School# of Credits RequiredStart DatesMinimum Months to Complete
Ashford University120Multiple208 weeks
Rasmussen College90Multiple18
American Intercontinental University180Multiple48

THE AVERAGE COST OF AN ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEGREE

On average, an Entrepreneurial Studies degree costs $7,070 per year for in state public colleges. For out of state private colleges, it may cost an average of $35,570 per year.

Since these are norms, you’ll find schools that are more affordable and more expensive. Other things that may dip into your wallet are books, technology, and graduation fees. Some schools also charge different rates if you study on a part time basis.

The table below shows how the number of credits you must complete to earn a bachelor’s in entrepreneurship and its role in calculating cost.

School# of Credits RequiredCost Per CreditTotal Tuition Cost
Ashford University120$485$58,200
Rasmussen College90$209$53,190
American Intercontinental University180$400$72,000

TOP SCHOOLS FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEGREE PROGRAMS

As per DataUSA, the largest share of institutions with Entrepreneurial Studies programs are Public, 2 year institutions. From those schools there were 8,911 degrees in Entrepreneurial Studies awarded to students. The majority of these programs were bachelor’s degrees.

School2022 Degrees awarded2023/24 Tuition (out of state unless *)
Valencia College253$9,383
University of Pennsylvania204$66,104
University of Iowa136$32,927
Broward College149$8,952
Indian River State College543$10,201
Central Michigan University74$14,190
Florida State College at Jacksonville120$9,992
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College86$15,414

Estimated for full time, beginning undergrad students

ACCREDITATION FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEGREE PROGRAMS

Regionally accredited colleges offer online entrepreneurship programs. Within these schools some business programs also have approval for their curriculum. For each type of accreditation, an outside agency sets guidelines. It then conducts a review to see if these quality standards are in place.

There are several reasons regional accreditation matters. One is such colleges often have transfer policies between them. You’ll also be able to apply for federal financial aid. Plus, these are schools that meet and must maintain standards. These standards speak to things like faculty and student services.

Once accredited, it is up to the institution to apply when the period of approval ends. As a student, you can check the accreditation status of a school on the agency website. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) has this info for institutions. It keeps a database of each regional accreditor and the schools they recognize.

The next level of quality control is for individual business programs. Again, because it is a voluntary process, each school has to apply to an outside agency. Then, it commits to a process of self-study, on-site visitation, and assessment. Three accreditors of business programs are:

  1. Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
  2. Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
  3. International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE)

Before endorsing a business program an accreditor checks if the curriculum is up-to-date. They’ll often want to see that it teaches the skills and knowledge today’s employers look for. Also, the school continues to improve per agency guidelines.

This type of accreditation may play a role in the future. For instance, if you want to pursue a masters or MBA. The extra level of recognition may be important to the grad school.

WHAT JOBS CAN YOU GET WITH AN ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEGREE?

Degree programs in entrepreneurship may help students learn more about accounting, ethics, economics, finance, marketing and management. As a result of this kind of education, many entrepreneurship degree graduates go on to start their own business. For some, this means self employment and autonomy. Yet, there are other careers one might pursue with the skills of a self-starter.

Experts tell us that entrepreneurship plays a vital role in the growth of the U.S. economy. With 11.2 million people in the entrepreneurial work force, the number is growing by 3.01%. Of these, there is a higher proportion of men.

Of them, most have a bachelor’s degree. Many others hold a masters degree. Over 318,000 have a professional degree. We also know that the average age is 43.7 years and that isn’t changing much with time.

TOP SALARIES BY STATE FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEGREE HOLDERS

The following table outlines the states where Chief Executives earn more.

StateEmploymentAnnual Mean Wage
South Dakota550$350,100
New Jersey1,090$449,370
Oregon810$371,290
North Carolina900$345,170
Connecticut1,720$314,060

ENTREPRENEUR CAREER PATHS AND POTENTIAL SALARIES

As you can see, a degree in criminal justice, unlike many other degree programs in related fields, focuses on real world application. Because of this, there is a demand by employers in both the public and private sectors for students with this degree. Students in criminal justice programs study theory at the same time as they gain practical skills. This allows them to hit the ground running when they are able to land their first job.

When you think about a career in criminal justice, you may think of jobs such as police officers or correctional officers. But the career choices don’t just stop there. Because the field of criminal justice involves many other areas like business and science, there are many jobs that you can choose to pursue with this degree.

Earning an online criminal justice degree may help you to pursue a career in many areas in the field. Because there are many branches of the justice and law enforcement sectors, the salary and growth projection in this list of criminal justice jobs broadly range from a corrections officer to a lawyer that has passed the bar.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) act as policymakers, charged with the duty of overseeing the accomplishment of objectives in private and public enterprises. At the summit of management, they lead the planning, direction, and guidance of daily operations. Titles like executive director, managing director, or president may be used interchangeably with CEO, all highlighting their central role in steering organizations towards their goals.

According to 2023 BLS Data:

Median Salary: $130,840 per year

Job Growth Through 2033: 6% (Faster than average)

Typical Entry level Education: Bachelor’s degree (or MBA)

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS

Training and development managers oversee staff, concentrating on planning, directing, and coordinating programs for employee growth. These initiatives play a crucial role in enhancing the knowledge and skill sets of the workforce.

According to 2023 BLS Data:

Median Salary: $125,040 per year

Job Growth Through 2033: 7% (Faster than average)

Typical Entry level Education: Bachelor’s degree

SALES MANAGERS

Sales managers supervise sales teams, set objectives, and analyze data to evaluate product performance. They design training programs for sales representatives and monitor customer preferences to adapt strategies accordingly.

According to 2023 BLS Data:

Median Salary: $135,160 per year

Job Growth Through 2033: 6% (As fast as average)

Typical Entry level Education: Bachelor’s degree

© Education Connection 2024. All Rights Reserved.

*https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d20/tables/dt20_311.15.asp

Sources for school statistics is the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics.

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1 You must apply for a new loan each school year. This approval percentage is based on students with a Sallie Mae undergraduate loan in the 2018/19 school year who were approved when they returned in 2019/20. It does not include the denied applications of students who were ultimately approved in 2019/20.

2 This promotional benefit is provided at no cost to borrowers with new loans that disburse between May 1, 2021 and April 30, 2022. Borrowers are not eligible to activate the benefit until July 1, 2021. Borrowers who reside in, attend school in, or borrow for a student attending school in Maine are not eligible for this benefit. Chegg Study® offers expert Q&A where students can submit up to 20 questions per month. No cash value. Terms and Conditions apply. Please visit http://www.chegg.com/legal/smtermsandconditions for complete details. This offer expires one year after issuance.

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